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Powerball drawing allows Donaldsonville residents to cash in

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DONALDSONVILLE - When your store has been around for almost 70 years, you'll see a lot people buy lottery tickets.

Such is the case for Michel Bellina, owner of Bellina's Grocery in Donaldsonville.

"They said, 'I'm the next winner.' They joke about it a lot, and that's what makes it fun, too," Bellina said. "We joke about what they would do with the money, and I say, you're counting your chickens before they hatch."

One of Bellina's customers wasn't. A Donaldsonville man, who would like to remain anonymous, claimed the January 19 Powerball prize of $1 million on a ticket he bought from Bellina's.

"One of us just had the little magic touch, and, you know, touched that button, and gave somebody a million dollars," said Dorothy Lear, who works at the store.

The store that sells the winning ticket gets a one percent commission, which in this case is $10,000.

"I enjoy the idea of winning it, but I have a couple of projects in the works," Bellina said.

One of those projects is repairing the store's sign, which has been on the building's facade since the 1950s.

"Everybody wants to win," Bellina said. "They get those dreams of winning the lottery. Like I said, we want you to win."